EarthLink Basic High-Speed DSL


Editors' rating:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.1 9 10 best

The good: Solid spam and pop-up ad suppression; price includes troubleshooting diagnostics, 10MB of Web space, and eight e-mail addresses; supports Macs; 30-day money-back guarantee. 
The bad: Outdated and incomplete manual; sometimes confusing setup; requires one-year commitment; $149.95 early termination fee. 
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Review summary

EarthLink DSL delivers a great bargain and solid service but lacks the smooth setup and support of Covad's consumer DSL service.
By Robert Luhn, June 9, 2003
DSL is a commodity, with fairly similar prices (about $49 per month) and speeds (1.5Mbps/128Kbps residential service) no matter which service you use. Covad distinguishes itself with lean but hassle-free setup and operations, while SBC Yahoo's DSL offers lots of goodies and a little chaos. EarthLink DSL sits somewhere in between, making it a solid choice if you can't get Covad in your area. Along with a great price for basic 1.5Mbps/128Kbps service ($29.95 for the first six months, $49.95 thereafter), you get built-in spam and pop-up ad squashing, 10MB of Web space, eight e-mail accounts, and 20 hours of dial-up access per month, all wrapped in EarthLink's cozy Web-based interface. It's an appealing package, marred only by EarthLink's out-of-date documentation, some setup quirks, and uneven tech support.
 
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Quick facts
Software requirements and specs:
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Macintosh OS 8 or higher

RAM16MB for Windows 95; 32 to 64 MB recommended for other operating systems

Processor Speed166 MHz or better

Available Hard Drive Space44MB

CD-ROM driveRequired

HardwareUSB Port or Ethernet NIC Card



Robert Luhn is a former executive editor for CNET.com and a frequent contributor to CNET Internet Services.Have a question for him? We'll pass it on!